Applied Research Quality Life (2009) 4:333–345

DOI 10.1007/s11482-009-9084-8

The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life

Leo W. Jeffres & Cheryl C. Bracken & Guowei Jian &

Mary F. Casey

Received: 7 January 2009 / Accepted: 28 September 2009 / Published online: 13 October 2009
# Springer Science + Business Media B.V./
The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) 2009

Abstract Older cities struggling with issues of survival focus on jobs and the
economy, but competition requires all cities to pay attention to the quality of life that
attracts residents. Creating such an inviting environment includes “third places” that
foster community and communication among people outside of home and work, yet
we have little empirical evidence that speaks to the subject, or their importance for a
community’s quality of life. Here we report on a national U.S. survey that asked
people to identify such places in their community, producing a wide variety of “third
places” that ranged from the most popular community centers, coffee shops and
restaurants to parks and malls. While a few relationships are found between
population/diversity and the popularity of particular third places, the most important
result confirms a hypothesized relationship between perceptions that third places are
accessible in their community and the perceived quality of life.

Keywords Third places . Communication . Community quality of life .

Urban Communication . Constructed Environment

Older cities struggling with issues of survival focus on jobs and the economy, but
there’s also recognition that today’s competition requires all cities to pay attention
to the quality of life that attracts young professionals and entrepreneurs (Audirac
and Fitzgerald 2003; Lambiri et al. 2007). Urban centers around the world see
themselves as competing for residents and tourists through unique attractions and
leisure activities (Clark et al. 2002; Young et al. 2006).1
1
Paskaleva-Shapira (2007) notes that tourist cities need to create an appeal to all stakeholders—tourists,
businesses and citizens—to be competitive. The importance of local tourism through arts festivals also is a
factor (Quinn (2005).
This manuscript is based on a paper presented at the Urban Communication Seminar, National
Communication Association, Chicago, Ill., November, 2007.
L. W. Jeffres (*) : C. C. Bracken : G. Jian : M. F. Casey
School of Communication, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
e-mail: l.jeffres@csuohio.edu
334 L.W. Jeffres et al.

This economic competition among cities depends in part on attracting what Florida
(2002a, 2002b, 2005a, 2005b, 2008) calls the “creative class,” more highly-paid
innovative thinkers such as writers, entertainers, artists and engineers, who are the key
to urban regeneration. These individuals fuel the “creative economy” with innovation
that generates jobs and hope for older industrial cities. However, these relatively
young people (aged 18 to 50) are not only highly educated but also mobile and
attracted to environments that have few problems, tolerate “bohemians,” and provide
opportunities for leisure and amenities consistent with a high quality of life. In this
mix, attractive “public spaces” and the built environment would seem to be necessary
ingredients for a desirable quality of life. Here we will focus on this potential link
between public places and the perceived quality of life available in the community.
Research on the quality of urban life began when concern arose over the
secondary effects on American society of national governmental programs (Andrews
1986; Schuessler and Fisher 1985). Among urban scholars today, the focus shifts to
how planners and policy makers can create an environment conducive to economic
development (While et al. 2004). Quality of life research should be front and center
in this process of evaluating people’s relationship to their environment.
Urban planners and designers contribute to this dialogue about the future through
multidisciplinary contributions that range from “life style centers” that are the
domain of commercial interests to public spaces that are the responsibility of
officials and government (Marans 2003; Pacione 2003; van Kamp et al. 2003).
Changing definitions of the quality of life and the marketing of cities as places to
live have led to popular rankings of cities. This media attention has framed policy-
making discussions in many U.S. cities (McCann 2004).
The concern about urban centers cannot ignore the search for community. While
many people select a home for its resale value or neighborhood schools, others seek
community, a place to connect with others, where they feel at home. Among long-
term residents, the social network is important for neighborhood participation
(Dekker 2007). And that brings us to “communication,” which links people to each
other and their community.
Communication scholars have much to contribute to this concern about spaces
and activities, though their participation has been minimal so far. Our lives are acted
out in three broad contexts: homes, the private spaces of individuals and families;
workplaces, that generate economic resources; and “third places” that are neither
home nor work. Someone’s workplace is someone else’s “third place,” but the
distinction is not some absolute categorization but the function it serves.
“Third places,” as defined by Oldenburg (1989), are the “great, good places” that
foster community and communication among people outside of home and work, the
first and second places of daily life. Third places are the bars and coffee shops, the
beauty salons and barbershops, bowling alleys and recreation centers, public places
where people meet, congregate, and communicate. As Das (2008) notes, both
objective and subjective factors are important for people’s quality of life, and “third
places” are part of the “constructed environment” that contribute to objective
conditions of living. Even economists now recognize that the “quality of life” is an
“economic good,” with multiple dimensions (Lambiri et al. 2007). Kearney (2006)
found that opportunities by residents to visit nearby shared space affected
neighborhood satisfaction.
The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life 335

These “third places” may take many forms, and, while observers and scholars have
written many essays on their form and their importance, we have no scholarly con-
tributions that ascertain the public’s perception of such spaces, and whether they contribute
to the quality of life in their communities. This paper will report on such an effort.

Third Places as Centers of Community

One of the long-running hit television shows of the 1980s and early 1990s was
Cheers, a situation comedy about a Boston tavern. The setting was a perfect example
of Oldenburg’s third place. The regulars were a racially homogeneous but socio-
economically diverse group who laughed, told stories, confided problems, drank
moderately, and blew off steam from the pressures of home and work. The theme
song summed up both the series and the ideal third place as where you can go and
everybody knows your name.2
Not every community or neighborhood has a “Cheers,” where that perfect social
experience exists, but many communities have places that are near-equivalents. The
recreation center where neighbors meet for aqua aerobics classes, the church where
most of the parishioners have ties with each other, the McDonald’s where the gang
meets for morning coffee, all have at least some of the characteristics of an ideal
“third place.”
Oldenburg and Brissett (1982) note that, “Third places exist outside the home and
beyond the ‘work lots’ of modern economic production. They are places where
people gather primarily to enjoy each other’s company” (p. 269). Third places
function as unique public spaces for social interaction, providing a context for
sociability, spontaneity, community building and emotional expressiveness. Third
places also serve as a means of “keeping in touch with reality” through intimate
personal ties outside the home and workplace (Oldenburg and Brissett 1982, p. 280).
Oldenburg (1989) outlines some of the specific characteristics of third places:1)
They are on neutral ground. All are welcome, and no one plays “host”; 2) They are a
leveler; people of different socio-economic strata attend; 3) Conversation is the main
activity. Even though the setting may be a place for drinking, or exercising, or
playing a game, talking is always present; 4) They are accessible; there are no
physical, policy, or monetary barriers to entrance; 5) They are a home away from
home. There are “regulars” who find the atmosphere comfortable enough to “root”
them there; 6) The mood is playful, laughter is often heard, and wit is prized.
Oldenburg believes that these are the essential characteristics of third places
because they engender the unique communication experiences and sociological

2
The lyrics of the theme from the television show, Cheers, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” are:
Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go.
Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see our troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
You wanna go where people know, people are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”
336 L.W. Jeffres et al.

benefits associated with these places. The benefits serve not only community
residents but also the community at large.
For an individual, the third place offers stress relief from the everyday demands of
both home and work. It provides the feeling of inclusiveness and belonging
associated with participating in a group’s social activities, without the rigidity of
policy or exclusiveness of club or organization membership.
For the greater community, the third place strengthens community ties through social
interaction. It can foster commitment to local politics via informed public discourse. It
also provides a feeling of safety and security by being publicly accessible and promoting
open and visible interaction (Soukup 2006). As Oldenburg himself states, “Third places
are nothing more than informal public gathering places.”
Since communities themselves vary on so many dimensions, we might expect that
the sites where people go to communicate outside their homes and work also would
vary. To what extent do they share the characteristics Oldenburg believes are the
ideal ingredients for “third places.” Tolbert et al. (2002) found that non-metro small
towns had more third places and more associations than metro small towns. The
following research questions are offered:
Research Question 1: What are the characteristics of “third places” the general
public identifies as sites where they go to interact?
Research Question 2: Does the type of third place available to community residents
vary by the type of community in which they live? (urban,
suburban, rural)?
If third places are as important a part of community life as observers believe, then
neighborhoods/communities with third places should be more desirable. If there is
no place in a community for people to meet and casually talk, does the community
suffer? Is the quality of life, or the perceived quality of life, in a neighborhood
affected by the availability of third places? Frumkin (2003) and Baum and Palmer
(2002) associate third places with public health. Tolbert (2005) says that local social
and economic institutions—local businesses, civic organizations and churches—
buffer communities from external, often global forces, and that the presence of local
firms is positively associated with “third places,” social capital and voter turnout.
Grant et al. (2004) found that industrial plants with absentee management emit
significantly fewer toxins in communities with more associations, churches and
“third places.” Tolbert et al. (2002) found that the presence of more “third places”
was associated with greater civic welfare in both metro and non-metro small towns.
The following hypothesis is offered:
Hopothesis 1: Communities with “third places” for interacting outside home and
work will be perceived as having a higher quality of life.

Methods

A national telephone survey using a CATI system was conducted in late 2005 and
early 2006 using a probability sample of U.S. households that yielded 477
respondents. The survey was introduced as the Civic Project, with an emphasis on
The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life 337

communities and technology. The 20-minute survey had a cooperation rate of about
27%, comparable to that achieved by surveys of similar length, e.g., Kempf and
Remington (2007) report a steady decline in response rates for telephone surveys at a
University of Michigan survey center, dropping from 72% in 1979 to a low of 48%
in 2003. Following are the measures of concepts.

Third Places Many of the quality of place measures include “third places” but they are
aggregated and not linked to opportunities for communication as Oldenburg suggests
(e.g., Florida 2002c). Respondents were given the following open-ended questions to
tap third places where residents would likely engage in communication: “What are the
opportunities for communication in public places in your neighborhood, for example,
places where people might chat informally or where friends and neighbors might go
for a conversation?” Follow up probes, “any others?,” continued until there were no
more answers. Responses were then coded into categories and three indices were
constructed to classify places that reflect 1) an emphasis on eating and drinking; 2)
outside public and inside private neighborhood locations for congregating; and 3)
centers and organizations that would attract residents.

Perceived Quality of Life Two items tapped people’s perceptions of the quality of life
available in their community and neighborhood: “How would you rate the overall
quality of life available in the community where you live on a 0–10 scale, where 0 is the
worst possible and 10 is the best possible?” A second item asked, “How would you rate
the overall quality of life available in your specific neighborhood on the same 0–10
scale, where 0 is the worst possible and 10 is the best possible?”

Social Categories The traditional items were used to ascertain respondents’ gender,
age, education, ethnicity, marital status, and household income.

Community Characteristics Residents were asked which of the following choices

best describes where they live: in a central city neighborhood of a metropolitan area,
in a near-by suburb of a metro area, in a more distant suburb of a metro area, in a
fair-sized city outside a metro area, in a small town outside a metro area, or in the
country. Respondents were also asked for their zipcode, which was matched with the
most recent census data on population and various characteristics.

Results

The first research question asked what are the characteristics of third places the general
public identifies as sites where they go to interact in their communities. Table 1
summarizes the responses. Perhaps the most surprising finding is the number (29% of
respondents) who can’t think of anyplace in their community to go. The most
frequently cited “third places” were coffee shops, cited by 13% of the sample. While
many cited the generic coffee shop, numerous gave specific names, from Starbucks to
Pricilla’s Coffee Shop or the Java River Coffee House. Restaurants also ranged from
the local diner to six citations of McDonalds. Community centers, churches, parks and
outdoor recreation spots also drew numerous nominations. Down the list somewhat
338 L.W. Jeffres et al.

Table 1 Third places cited by respondents

Type of Third Place Number of responses

None, no where, don’t know 139

Community centers, town meetings 66
Coffee shops 64
Restaurants and cafes 58
Churches 49
Parks and outdoor recreation 39
Neighborhood outdoors, streets, neighbors’ yards 39
Neighborhood inside, homes, apartments, party room 38
Clubs and organizations 35
Libraries 32
Shopping centers, stores, malls, and markets 27
Schools, colleges, universities 23
Bars and pubs 17
Recreation centers, YM/WCA, pool, movies, bingo 17
Neighborhood parties, block parties, cookouts, barbecues 14
Senior centers 11
Media, online, newsletters, newspapers, phone, bulletin boards 10
Many places 7
Other, miscellaneous 6
Hair salons, barber and beauty shops 3
Work 2
City area, downtown 2

are clubs, bars and public recreation centers. All of these reflect many of the
characteristics of third places identified by Oldenburg (1989): neutral ground, open to
all status groups,3 conversation is a major activity, and accessibility.
For some communities in our study, the streets and neighbors’ yards represent
opportunities to gather and communicate, suggesting that the “street corner society”
still persists in some form. McTavish and Salamon (2001) found that 72% of
households in a mobile home park reported feeling a sense of community either on
their street or directly adjacent to their home. Libraries and senior centers are public
meeting centers for groups that share some common ground, the former cited by 7%
of the sample. Clubs and organizations, cited by 7% of the sample, included
restricted locations such as country clubs and homeowners associations, to
neighborhood groups, “our Grange hall” and civic clubs. Thus, while Americans
may be “bowling alone” more often (Putnam 2000), many still gather together for
fellowship or seeking the common good.

3
In a study of urban café guests in Norway, Traeen and Rossow (1994) note that people come together for
common purposes regardless of social rank.
The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life 339

However, some of the “third places” are on commercial ground—shopping centers,

stores and malls, cited by 6% of the sample, and hair salons, barber and beauty shops.
Some 5% cited schools or universities and similar numbers cited events rather than
locations—neighborhood parties, cookouts, block parties and barbecues.
Two responses rejected the notion of “third places” entirely, citing homes or “virtual
spaces.” Thus, some 8% cited private spaces such as their neighbors’ homes, or on
their stoop or front porch.4 And “virtual” or mediated spaces were cited by 2% of the
sample: media, online, bulletin boards, newsletters, newspapers, or over the phone.5
Some aspects of communication over the Internet mirror one of the criteria for third
places, the leveling nature of online communication (perhaps through anonymity),
accessibility, “conversation” as the primary activity, and neutral ground.6
These results suggest several lines of inquiry that would require a larger data set
to pursue. Thus, what types of residents are attracted to public vs. private third
places? To what extent are programmed and institutional settings more significant
for different generations—fraternal and ethnic halls serving older residents while rib
fests and wine tastings attract younger residents. Furthermore, where does cost enter
the equation and what should communities do to serve residents across the seasons?
The second research question asked if the type of third place available to
community residents differed by the type of community in which they live, e.g.,
urban, suburban, rural. Table 2 provides a breakdown of third places cited by
residents in each type of community. Overall patterns are statistically significant for
only three places, although two others approach significance. Thus, residents living
in central city neighborhoods, in the country and in fair-sized non metro cities are
more likely to claim there are no such places relative to respondents living in
suburbs and small towns. And restaurants and cafes are cited least often by central
city residents, most often by those in small towns outside metro areas, with the
others in between. Neighborhood events, block parties, and cookouts are cited most
often by fair-sized non-metro city residents and those in distant suburbs, but seldom
in the other types of communities. Community centers are more popular in near-by
suburbs and least popular in more distant suburbs, with the other areas in between.
And citations of outside venues, streets, in yards were cited more frequently by those
living in fair-sized non-metro cities, then country residents and least often by central
city and nearby suburb residents.
There are diverse ways to combine the categories to reflect dimensions Oldenburg
(1989) says characterize third places. We combined coffee shops, bars and pubs,
restaurants and cafes into a category representing many of these dimensions (neutral
ground, open to all strata, conversation is the main activity, they’re accessible except
for some monetary barrier, and the atmosphere is comfortable); these venues are

4
In analyzing a Tel-Aviv café, Shapira and Navon (1991) note that public spaces can become private
spaces and vice versa.
5
Mass media usage, especially community newspaper reading, has been found to “encourage community
participation, create community identity, serve as a forum for public affairs, increase public knowledge of
their community, and allow the community to solve problems” (Jeffres and Lee 2002, p. 115).
6
Smith (2003) notes that synchronous computer-mediated communication has several major benefits that
include increased equity of participation among students, increased quantity of learner output, and
increased quality of learner output. Thus, the characteristics of virtual communication also reflect aspects
of third places that attract people.
340 L.W. Jeffres et al.

Table 2 Percentages of residents citing third places by type of community

Central Nearby Distant Fair-sized Small town In the Chi-Sq.

city metro suburb in suburb in non- outside country
neigh. metro area metro area metro city metro area

Coffee shops 12% 16.5% 12.5% 11.6% 14.3% 11.5% n.s.

Bars, pubs 4.1% 2.8% 0 2.3% 3.8% .34% n.s.
Churches 9.5% 11% 16.7% 7% 9.5% 10.3% n.s.
None, no where 41.9% 25.7% 22.9% 37.2% 21% 32.2% 12.5**
Restaurants, cafes 4.1% 10.1% 12.5% 11.6% 20% 12.6% 11.0**
Clubs, organizations 6.8% 6.4% 14.6% 7% 6.7% 5.7% n.s.
Community centers, Meetings 13.5% 22.0% 6.3% 11.6% 10.5% 12.6% 9.8*
Senior centers 1.4% 3.7% 0 2.3% 2.9% 2.3% n.s.
Parks 9.5% 7.3% 6.3% 11.6% 11.4% 3.4% n.s.
Stores, malls, markets 5.4% 5.5% 6.3% 4.7% 3.8% 9.2% n.s.
Recreation centers, Y’s, 1.4% 6.5% 2.1% 4.7% 3.8% 2.3% n.s.
movies, pools, bingo
Work 1.4% 0 0 0 1% 0 n.s.
Libraries 4.1% 9.2% 6.3% 11.6% 6.7% 4.6% n.s.
Schools, colleges 6.8% 1.8% 6.3% 2.3% 4.8% 6.9% n.s.
Beauty salons, barbers 1.4% 1% 0 0 1% 0 n.s.
Outside, streets, yards 4.1% 4.6% 10.4% 16.3% 7.6% 12.6% 9.8*
Inside neigh., homes, 6.8% 11.9% 8.3% 2.3% 6.7% 9.2% n.s.
apts., party rooms
Neigh. parties, block 1.4% 1.8% 6.3% 11.6% 1.9% 1.1% 15.4***
parties, cookouts
Media, web, newsletters, 0 1.8% 4.2% 4.7% 1% 3.4% n.s.
Phone, paper, bulletin bd.
Many places 0 1.8% 2.1% 0 3.8% 0 n.s.
City area 0 1% 2% 0 0 0 n.s.
Miscellaneous, other 1.4% 1.8% 2.1% 2.3% 1% 0 n.s.
N= 74 109 48 43 105 87 466

The figures in each cell represent the percentage of residents in each type of community citing specific
third places. *p<.10, **p<.05, ***p<.01

probably one of the most popular forms of leisure-time activity engaged in by people
today, and they require no coordination with others for the most part; we label this,
“Eating, Drinking & Talking.” A second category has many of the same ingredients
but focuses on organized social activity—combining churches, clubs and organ-
izations, community centers and meetings, and senior centers; this is the category
most relevant for Putnam’s (2000) emphasis on organizational involvement; we label
this, “Organized Activity.” A third category stresses outside venues, parks or just
meeting on streets on in yards; we label this, “Outside Venues.” And a fourth
category focuses on the commercial vs. public nature of the venue, grouping coffee
shops, bars and pubs, restaurants and cafes, stores, malls, shopping centers and
markets, beauty salons and barber shops; we label this, “Commercial Venues.” A
The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life 341

breakdown of these larger groups of places shows differences by type of community,

but none of the differences are statistically significant (see Table 3).
The three population measures were examined in relation to the citation of
different types of “third places” listed in Table 1. Community population is
correlated with citing only one category, neighborhood inside, homes, apartments,
party room (r=.12, p<.02). County population was correlated with citing the city
area itself (r=.20, p<.001) and the correlation with citing neighborhood parties,
block parties, cookouts, barbecues approached statistical significance (r=.09,
p<.08). The metropolitan population was correlated with citation of three kinds of
third places: clubs and organizations (r=.10, p<.05), the city area itself (r=.15,
p<.003), and neighborhood parties, block parties, cookouts, barbecues (r=.14,
p<.006). When Putnam (2000) decried the lack of civic engagement and loss of
community life in America over the past few decades in his “Bowling Alone”
hypothesis, he focused on the decline in organizational membership as a measure of
“social capital.” Yet here we find that it is precisely this context as “third places” that
is correlated with metropolitan population. Maybe people are joining less, but
organizations are more likely to be cited as places residents meet and talk in larger
metro areas.
Next, the three population measures were examined in relation to the larger
categories, but only one correlation was statistically significant: thus, the larger the
population of the community in which people lived, the more likely respondents
were to cite outside venues as “third places” where they and their friends would go
to talk (r=.10, p<.04). Neither population of the county nor population of the metro
area was significantly related.
If size isn’t a factor, perhaps the diversity of the community in which respondents
live is important. Of the six individual diversity measures (occupation, racial-ethnic,
age, education, income and marital status), only one was important: those who live
in neighborhoods characterized by greater racial-ethnic diversity are less likely to
cite either commercial venues (r=-.15, p<.01) or places where one eats-drinks-talks
(r=-.13, p<.02) as “third places,” and they are more likely to say there’s nowhere to
go (r=.12, p<.03). When the six diversity indices are added for a summary measure,
the same two negative relationships appear (eat-drink-talk, r = -.09, p < .10;
commercial venues, r=-.11, p<.04) but at a reduced level. And those in communities

Table 3 Percentages of residents citing four major categories of third places by type of community

Central city Nearby Distant Fair-sized Small town In the Chi-Sq.

metro suburb in suburb in non-metro outside metro country
neigh. metro area metro area city area

Eat, drink, 17.6% 24.8% 20.8% 25.6% 31.4% 21.8% n.s.

talk
Organized 27.0% 35.8% 31.3% 20.9% 26.7% 26.4% n.s.
activity
Outside 13.5% 11.9% 16.7% 25.6% 17.1% 16.1% n.s.
venues
Commercial 21.6% 28.4% 22.9% 25.6% 35.2% 26.4% n.s.
venues
342 L.W. Jeffres et al.

characterized by more overall diversity are more likely to say there are no such
“third places,” though the correlation only approaches statistical significance (r=.10,
p<.08).
Our hypothesis predicted that those living in communities with “third places”
would claim a higher quality of life in the community and in their neighborhood.
The hypothesis is supported by the data. Correlations were computed between citing
the lack of “third places” and QOL assessments. Claiming there were no “third
places” was negatively correlated with community quality of life assessment (r=
-.14, p<.01) and neighborhood quality of life assessment (r=-.20, p<.001).
Controlling for social categories (age, education, gender, white ethnicity, married
marital status) reduced the magnitude of the relationships, but they still persisted
(community QOL partial r=-.10, p<.05; neighborhood QOL partial r=-.17,
p<.001). Adding the community population and summary diversity measures to
controls reduced the correlation between community QOL and identifying third
places below statistical significance (partial r=-.10, p<.08) but had no impact on the
correlation of third places with neighborhood QOL (partial r=-.17, p<.001).

Discussion

Clearly, Americans find a variety of venues to meet and talk with friends and
neighbors. While the coffee shop and restaurants are the most popular “third places”
cited in our national survey, pubs, senior centers, parks and malls also appear on the
list. Where one lives doesn’t seem to make much difference in the type of third
places residents cite as locations where they go to talk. But a couple differences do
appear; thus, restaurants and cafes are cited least often by central city residents, most
often by those in small towns outside metro areas, with the others in between. And
those living in central city neighborhoods, in the country or in fair-sized non metro
cities are more likely to claim there are no “third places” in their communities
relative to respondents living in suburbs and small towns.
Media today pay considerable attention to leisure opportunities, which are often
used to characterize desirable locations. Thus, local newscasts seldom miss a chance
to feature local festivals or residents enjoying outdoor venues, and prime-time
television dramas are cast in “tourist” cities such as Miami and Las Vegas, which
provide ample footage of public spaces. These images are likely to feed into the
public’s perceptions of what’s desirable in their communities. When television and
film became national media, they joined with retailers in erasing urban-rural
differences in fashion and popular culture. It’s likely that similar effects would be
found in how residents assess what’s desirable in the public and private spaces
available in their communities. While this study cannot document how press
coverage and media images shape perceptions of “third places,” it is an issue that
deserves attention in future research.
An analysis of third places most popular by population and diversity measures
reveals a surprising finding. Metropolitan population was correlated with citation
of three kinds of third places: clubs and organizations, the city area itself, and
neighborhood parties, block parties, cookouts, barbecues. Thus, despite Putnam’s
(2000) often cited decline of civic engagement in America, particularly in
The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life 343

organizational membership, it is precisely this context as “third places” that is

correlated with metropolitan population. Maybe people are joining less, but
organizations are more likely to be cited as places residents meet and talk in larger
metro areas. When community diversity was analyzed, we find negative relation-
ships with citations of third places featuring eating-drinking-talking or those which
are commercial venues, suggesting a lack of public spaces such as parks or, perhaps,
a reluctance to frequent them for one reason or another (e.g., crime). Those in
communities characterized by more overall diversity are more likely to say there are
no such “third places.”
Our hypothesized relationship between the presence of third places and
perceptions of the quality of life was supported by the data. Thus, regardless of
where people go to meet and greet each other, the mere fact they feel they believe
they have access to third places enhances their perceptions of the quality of life in
their community. We would expect individual differences in the choices for third
places, as well as an interaction with the built environment available to them. The
quality of life literature suggests that people’s satisfaction with the quality of life in
their community adjusts over time to fit the constraints people face (e.g., an
aspiration-adjustment model, Inglehart and Rabier 1986; Michalos 1986); would we
expect newcomers to communities to adjust what’s acceptable as third places for
meeting and greeting or to expand their horizons, look further afield and reduce their
assessments of their more immediate community’s quality of life? Wagner (2004)
argues that cities vary in their level of civic capital, as policy-makers plan, start,
maintain, repair or expand such third places as parks, community centers and other
third places that affect the quality of life for residents. The concept of civic capital
would appear to be a useful addition to the notion of social capital that researchers
have found important (Putnam 2000). Elsewhere, Jeffres, Jian, & Yoon (2007) have
advanced the concept of communication capital, which captures communication
resources across contexts for civic engagement.
In addition, the data provide such a wide range of third places acceptable to
Americans that we need to consider Lofland’s (1998) suggestion that we look at the
“qualities of the place itself” for interaction and pleasures derived from its use. Have
people changed in how they engage public life outside of home and work, a question
Krizek (1995) raises. Also, though the acceptability of “Wal-Mart” as a third place
may depend upon one’s political or philosophical inclinations, the reliance on
“commercial” private venues for public interactions deserves more than cursory
examination in a society where “visiting” as an activity has been replaced by dining
and drinking. Third places may have begun as a simple metaphor for venues where
“public life” is enacted, but the concept is useful for looking at the climate and
context for interpersonal communication in America today. It’s more about
communication than sociology.
Since the data were collected for this study, social networking has grown
dramatically as people have joined online communities. This is a new phenomenon
that some will pit against face-to-face interaction in public spaces, but a spot check
of coffee shops and similar third places shows that many online participants carry on
their “private” interaction in public spaces. In fact, the ability to logon in public
spaces has become an amenity to attract customers and residents across contexts
(Hart 2008; Wong 2007). Some researchers suggest that the Internet today allows
344 L.W. Jeffres et al.

people to create new virtual social spaces unhampered by physical geography

(Ducheneaut et al. 2004; Williams 2006), and, while the number of citations is small,
the fact that numerous respondents suggested meeting on the Internet when asked
where they would “go” for a conversation suggests that “virtual third places” are
options for some. Thus, while the link between “third places” and communication
may be important for a community’s quality of life, some of that interaction may
occur online in public spaces. Opportunities for online communication across
contexts also is an attraction to the “creative class” sought after by cities.

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